Accelerera FFI system demonstrators - fall 2026

Strategic vehicle research and innovation (FFI) is a collaboration between the state and the automotive industry to jointly finance research, innovation and development activities with a focus on making Sweden a leader in the global transition to sustainable road transport.

Read more about FFI's roadmap

This the call for proposals finances project within FFI's Accelerate sub-programme, which deals with larger system demonstrations. Innovative system solutions with high societal benefit are to be demonstrated on a large scale in a real environment in broad collaborations. The call for proposals is aimed at those who will apply funding for full-scale system demonstrators. For preparatory projects, see instead:

This call for proposals takes place within FFI's Accelerate sub-program. With this call for proposals we want to create collaborations that make it possible to develop system demonstrators that can lead to major changes and that can accelerate the pace of the transition to sustainable road transport.

Read more about FFI Accelerera

FFI Accelerera particularly welcomes applications concerning preparatory projects for sustainable road transport in the following areas:

• Autonomous transportation systems.
• Electrified transport systems.
• Integration between energy and transport systems including energy efficiency.
• Use of hydrogen in the transportation system.
• Complete solutions for fossil-free construction sites, ports, mines, etc.
• Circular flows for example batteries.

Applications in other areas are welcome to apply.

What is a system demonstrator?

System demonstrations are a way to start from the knowledge of what is required to change a system and put it into practice. To change at the system level, multiple solutions are often needed that interact and affect different parts of the system, rather than a single solution being implemented.

The demonstrator should not be limited to technical innovation, including services and processes, but also needs to work with culture and behaviors around the new solutions. Digital and physical infrastructure may need to be developed. Business models may need to be developed or adapted. Regulations and standards may also need to be adapted as technology and services develop, and this requires both dialogue and cooperation with those concerned actors.

A system demonstrator should contain all five system perspectives:

• Behavior, culture and values.
• Business models.
• Regulations and standardization (“policy”).
• Infrastructure, physical and digital.
• Technology, products, services and processes.

Read more about the five systems perspectives in FFI's Roadmap

What characterizes a system demonstrator?

• It is clear which system is to be changed and there is a common goal for all parties in the project as well as a clear understanding of obstacles and opportunities.
• Actors from all parts of the system that is subject to change participate, show commitment and can jointly influence the system. It is clear who the key actors are and their role in system change. Activity and commitment from several relevant need owner is required. need owner refers to users, demanders and customers.
• Strategic and coordinated solutions that clearly contribute to the common vision and are selected and designed to examine multiple perspectives (technology, infrastructure, behavior, culture and values, business opportunities, policy, regulations, standards) of the system simultaneously. It is not enough to demonstrate technology solutions. The solutions must be mature to be implemented and encompass the entire system.
• The activities carried out form a coherent whole that is large enough to represent the system, and the tests performed are evaluated and developed iteratively.
• Demonstration and testing takes place in a real environment together with need owner.
• A system demonstrator should be scalable. The system solutions being tested are carefully designed to be able to branch, spread and scale up, which includes approaches to achieve significant scale-up of funding.

More information about system demonstrators

Results targets for the preparation project

Project that is granted shall achieve all performance objectives during the project period:

• The system demonstrator should have a major potential influence on the system and there is a willingness among the actors to do the investments that are required to collectively contribute to accelerating the transition to sustainable road transport.
• A clear, documented and anchored plan has been developed for how demonstrated solutions will be disseminated and scaled up both nationally and internationally and contribute to competitiveness.
• A common goal with a clear direction and future perspective has been established and created commitment among the actors. Relevant actors have collaborated broadly to address the societal challenge and influenced the five system perspectives in the desired direction. The project has contributed to an increased level of system maturity.
• Selected solutions have reached high technical maturity and have been demonstrated in a real-world environment together with need owner. Commitment and recipient capacity of need owner and other relevant actors have been strengthened to enable implementation.
• Results, experiences and lessons learned have been packaged and communicated, also externally, to create broad engagement and inspire more system changes.

FFI's direction

The program has a roadmap that sets the direction towards 2030. FFI's mission is to drive road transport research and innovations for a sustainable society. The long-term vision is for Sweden to lead the global transition to sustainable road transport.

For a more detailed description of the content of the program, see FFI's roadmap

This the call for proposals is aimed at broader actor constellations that collaborate to create a system demonstrator to tackle complex societal challenges and contribute to the transition to sustainable road transport.

Addressing a societal challenge, such as climate change or road transport efficiency, requires solutions that are not just technical, but that work in reality where behaviors, business models, regulations, infrastructure and technology interact. Working with the systems perspective ensures that all these dimensions are taken into account, which increases the chance that the solution will be sustainable and scalable.

The call for proposals is aimed at actor constellations that have already carried out analyses of the system they intend to change. The major obstacles, needs and opportunities linked to the societal challenge and system that the project intends to address must have been identified in a previously completed preparatory project. The following examples of activities must have been carried out; relevant actors have been mobilized, a plan for demonstration in a real environment has been developed, system perspectives have been explored, there is a plan for funding and utilization as well as dissemination and scaling of the results.

Actors who have the opportunity to influence different parts of the system actively participate in the project. For example, industry parties who are suppliers of solutions together with need owner, research and public actors. Participating parties need to be actively engaged and need owner have a central role in the project and see a value in investing in the solutions. This is to ensure that the solution or solutions that are developed are taken forward for implementation.

A strong recommendation is to bring in design competence. Those project who have this method competence in project management or work packages have benefited from it in implementation. The competence is often used for needs analysis and systems analysis: to understand the system around the chosen societal challenge, actors in the system, key challenges and root causes. But equally to identify where in the system there is leverage, which determines the choice of solutions, and to facilitate an iterative, co-creative process between actors. Design competence refers to, for example, strategic design, service design or competence in systems analysis, complex systems or systems theory.

For system demonstrator projects, at least five parties are required, of which at least one need owner. The expectation is that the project consortium is larger than five parties, in order to be able to influence and create change in the system.

Foreign actors may be relevant and necessary to include as participants in the project. In order for these actors to be able to receive support from Vinnova, they need to have a branch or operating location in Sweden. In that case, the actor's project costs must arise in the branch or operating location.

This call for proposals funds research and development activities aimed at implementing a system demonstrator.

Activities that can be searched funding for

The types of project activities that are approved within the framework of this call for proposals shall be covered by the Experimental Development funding basis, see Chapter 5. Approved activities are, for example:

• Build and test the system demonstrator in a real environment.
• Conduct and evaluate tests and understand the experience of users or customers and other stakeholders of the solution, as well as continued development of tests.
• Validate identified opportunities to influence structural factors, such as behaviors, laws, regulations, standards.
• Investigate the conditions for implementing the solution, such as demand, business models, pricing, procurement, etc.
• Investigate adaptation needs for physical and digital infrastructure.
• Investment needs for scaling up nationally and internationally.
• Communication efforts to stakeholders outside the project.

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is subject to rules about state aid. The rules govern what kinds of costs we can finance. These are called eligible costs.

In this the call for proposals, these types of costs are eligible:

• Salary costs: Gross salary paid, employer contributions and other salary costs.
• Equipment, land and buildings: Costs for instruments, equipment and rent for premises other than regular business premises.
• Consulting and licensing costs: Costs for consulting services, knowledge and patents purchased or licensed from an external party. These costs may not exceed 20 percent of an organization's budget.
  In case of special needs, for example if the project requires specialist expertise, we can accept a higher percentage. You should then justify this in your proposal, and the justification will be taken into account in our assessment.
• Other direct costs: Costs for, for example, materials, supplies and travel that are necessary to carry out the project.
• Indirect costs (overhead): Costs that are linked to the project but do not arise directly, such as premises and cleaning. Indirect costs may not exceed 30 percent of salary costs. Universities, university colleges, research organizations and government agencies may have higher permitted levels, depending on activities.

For more detailed information about which costs we can finance, see Instructions for eligible costs

Which eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

In order for your costs to be eligible for support, the following applies:

They must be factual, reasonable and necessary for the activities in the project.

They must be booked correctly and under a separate project code in the accounting. You may not cover project costs with other public funding or own funds intended for other project.

You may not claim someone else's expenses as your own.

For more detailed information on which eligibility requirements, limitations and exceptions apply, see our general terms and conditions.

The rules about state aid govern how large a proportion of the costs we can finance. This is determined individually for each organisation. We therefore differentiate between how large a funding project can get, and how much a participant organisation can get.

How big funding can the project get?

Vinnova finances each individual system demonstration project with a maximum of 50 percent of the project's eligible costs. For each individual project, co-financing from publicly or privately owned companies shall amount to at least 25 percent of the project's total budget, of which at least 10 percentage points shall come from private industry.

How much funding can a participant organisation get?

How much funding a participant organisation can receive depends mainly on:

• the organisation's size and activities
• which activities the organisation will carry out in the project.

Descriptions in the following sections about what support we can provide are simplified. For complete information, see Support bases and support levels for funding.

Support to companies for research and development

In this the call for proposals we give support to experimental development.

Experimental development can be simply described as combining, shaping and using existing knowledge to develop new or improved products, processes or services.

How much of the costs can we finance?

The organisation's The size and type of activity determines how large a proportion of the costs we can finance. This is called the maximum support level.

Maximum aid intensity for experimental development:

• Small business 45%
• Medium-sized company 35%
• Large company 25%

Situations when we finance a higher proportion

If the project is covered by any of these bonus bases, we can finance a higher proportion of the costs.

• Actual collaboration: Some level of collaboration between small and larger companies, between companies in two different European countries or between research organisations and companies.
• Dissemination of results: Extensive dissemination through, for example, conferences or open databases.
• Other bonus basis.

Maximum aid intensity for experimental development with bonus basis:

• Small business 60%
• Medium-sized company 50%
• Large company 40%

To verify the company's status as an SME, a model declaration must be submitted according to the template found here, Model declaration SME.

Support to universities, university colleges and other public organisations

We also give support to organisations that do not engage in economic activities. This means that the organisation do not offer a service or product on a market. This usually includes universities and university colleges, research institutes and other public organisations.

This support is not covered by state aid rules. We can therefore finance up to 100 percent of the costs of such an organization. The support is often called “not state aid.”

How is it determined whether a organisation is engaged in economic activities?

A organisation that offers any form of service or product in a market is considered to be engaged in economic activities and cannot be granted this form of support.

It does not matter how the the organisation is financed: whether it is public or private, or whether it has a profit motive. It also does not matter what legal form the business has. For example, whether it is a limited liability company, a trading company, an economic association, a non-profit association or a foundation.

Whether a organisation engages in economic activities is determined by their regular activities, not by the activities in the project.

Some organisations conduct both economic and non-economic activitiesactivities, such as research institutes. In that case, it is important that you know in which of these activities you are applying.

If you are unsure whether a organisation in your project conducts economic activities, contact call manager. However, The organisation is responsible for assessing whether it conducts economic activities.

In order for us to assess your proposal it must meet certain formal eligibility requirementsrequirements. If the requirements are not met, we will reject your proposal immediately.

Eligibility requirements on participants

• All participants organisations must be legal entities. Individuals or sole proprietorships cannot participate. Foreign legal entities can also participate. However, foreign actors that receive funding from us must have a branch or establishment in Sweden, and the costs must be incurred by the branch or establishment.
• The coordinating party must be a Swedish legal entity and conduct activities in Sweden.
• At least five participants must participate in the project. This includes the coordinating party. Different parts of a organisation are the same legal entity and are counted as one participant, for example two departments at a university.
• At least one participant should be need owner.

Eligibility requirements on the project

• The project's total budget must be at least 10 million SEK.
• At least 50 percent in co-financing.
• Co-financing from publicly or privately owned companies must amount to at least 25 percent of the project's total budget, of which at least 10 percentage points must come from private industry.
• A preparatory project must have been completed, not necessarily within the FFI program.
• The project must start no later than November 16, 2026.
• The project manager must be employed by the coordinating party in the project.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

Proposal should be written in Swedish or English.

• A final report from a completed preparatory project must be attached proposal. The preparatory project does not have to have been completed within the framework of FFI.
• Proposal should follow the instructions under the heading "How to apply" (see section 9).
• Proposal should contain all requested attachments. Please note that no attachments other than those specifically listed may be attached proposal.
• Proposal must be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m. on the last day of application via Vinnova's e-services. Once the application period has expired, completion of proposal can only be done at the request of Vinnova.

Applications that meet our eligibility requirements criteria will be forwarded to assessment. In the assessment, we look at how big potential your idea is, how realistic it is, who will implement the project, and how the idea contributes to increased gender equality.

What do we assess?

When assessing applications, we look at four main criteria:

• Potential: We analyze what effects and what value we can expect from the project.
• Actors: We assess the participants' competence and ability to implement the project and achieve the desired results and effects.
• Feasibility: We assess how realistic and credible the project plan is, both for implementing the project and for achieving the desired results.
• Gender equality: We assess how well your project integrates gender equality based on the following aspects; the composition of the project team, how well gender equality aspects have been integrated into the project plan and in relation to the project's results and solutions. For more information: Gender equality as a tool for innovative social development

Potential (weighted 35 percent)

• The project proposal's potential aims to contribute to sustainable road transport by demonstrating the solution based on the chosen societal challenge and its system perspective on a large scale in a real environment.
• The project proposal's potential to contribute to societal and business benefit in relation to existing knowledge and solutions, nationally and internationally.
• The benefit of the intended solution or new knowledge from relevant system and user perspectives.
• The project proposal's potential aims to scale up and implement the solution within a few years in a national and international context. The solution should have a high level of technical maturity.
• To what extent does the project proposal build on previous activities and results, and is based on completed preparatory projects.
• How well does proposal address one or more of the identified areas:
  - Autonomous transportation systems.
  - Electrified transportation systems.
  - Integration between energy and transport systems including energy efficiency.
  - Use of hydrogen in the transportation system.
  - Complete solutions for fossil-free construction sites, ports, mines, etc.
  - Circular flows for example batteries.

Implementation (weighted 30 percent)

• To what extent is the project based on a credible project plan and budget where the activities are linked to project objectives and desired results and long-term effects.
• To what extent is the system demonstrator prepared for scale-up with a plan for long-term funding after completion project.
• How credible the project plan's risk analysis and action plan for these risks are.
• To what extent does the project plan and implementation address all five system perspectives:
  - Behavior, culture and values.
  - Business models, procurement and collaboration.
  - Policy, standardization and regulations.
  - Infrastructure, physical and digital, but not road infrastructure such as road pavement and bridge.
  - Technology, products, services and processes.
• To what extent have working methods that support and facilitate stakeholder engagement and the involvement of relevant actors including need owner been integrated into the implementation.
• How well any consulting and licensing costs are relevant to the project's aim, reasonable in relation to its scope and justified based on expected benefits.

Actors (weighted 25 percent)

• How well relevant organisations and need owner are involved in the project, to the right extent and at the right time to realize the project's potential and implementation with the intention of taking forward expected results.
• The commitment, competence, resources and ability of the project manager and key personnel to lead and implement the project.
• Degree of collaboration between the project's parties.

Gender equality (weighted 10 percent)

How well equality aspects such as sex or gender perspectives that may be important to take into account in connection with the project's problem area, solutions and effects are taken into account.

The composition of the team with regard to gender distribution, as well as the distribution of power and influence between men and women.

How well gender equality aspects have been integrated into the project plan.

How do we assess?

Once we receive the applications, we review them. We screen out any applications that are incomplete or do not meet our eligibility requirements.

The applications that are correct and complete are distributed among different evaluator and assessed in competition with each other. The evaluators are appointed by us based on their expertise in the field. Each proposal is assessed by at least three evaluator.

Once the evaluators has reviewed the applications, we have an assessment meeting where the evaluators recommends which applications should be granted.

Vinnova reserves the right to apply a portfolio perspective when selecting applications that are granted.

How does it affect an organization's financial status?

Before we decide on funding we also make a comprehensive assessment of the organizational and financial status of those who receive funding.

We use information we receive from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet.

In our assessment we check this:

• Organisations who are granted funding for salary costs must be registered as an employer with the Swedish Tax Agency. If such registration does not exist when we make a decision, you must be able to show that a notification has been made. We do not approve retroactive registration.
• Organisations must not be insolvent, or undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring. They must also not have any significant unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• The project manager must be employed by the coordinating party.
• Limited liability companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.

We can also ask small and medium-sized companies to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to carry out the project.

Once we have assessed all applications, we will send you a decision either granting or rejecting your proposal. Since applications are assessed competitively, you may be rejected even though you meet all eligibility requirements and criteria.

In the decision, we state how large a proportion of the costs we cover for each organisation.

You cannot appeal our decision, but you are welcome to apply to us again at another time.

What happens if you are granted funding?

If we grant you proposal you must follow our general terms and conditions for funding. The terms include, among other things:

• That you will sign a special document in which you approve your participation and commit to carrying out the project.
• That you report how things are going, your costs and achievements to us during the project period.
• If you are multiple parties, you must have a written project agreement that regulates your mutual rights and obligations in the project. All parties must sign the agreement before you submit your first progress report. Since it can take time to develop and negotiate an agreement, we recommend that you start this as soon as possible.
• How the results will be used and that scientific publication will be open access so that the results are made freely available to everyone.

See our general terms and conditions

• Reporting and follow-up shall be carried out in accordance with decisions, templates and special instructions available on FFI's website, ffisweden.se (under the templates and guidance tab).
• The project shall be represented at the seminars or program conferences that Vinnova and FFI will organize and convene specifically during the project period. Costs for participation in such a seminar/program conference are eligible for support. Upon request, the project coordinator shall provide Vinnova and FFI with image and text material for project catalogs, annual reports, and the like.
• Indication that the project was financed by the FFI program
• The following replaces § 7.3 of the General Terms and Conditions: In information about the project and in each publication of project results, it must be stated that the work was carried out with support from the Fordonsstrategisk Forskning and Innovation program, FFI.

We may also decide to add additional special conditions for individual project. In that case, they will be stated in the decision.

Could you have to pay back funding?

If you have received more money than you are entitled to or if you do not follow our term, you may be liable for repayment.

When the call for proposals closes, your proposal will be registered as. We will then send an email confirmation to the person responsible for the user account, as well as to the project manager and the signatory. If you have not received a confirmation within 24 hours of the call for proposals closing, please contact us.

When the call for proposals is closed, you cannot change anything in proposal. Then you can only supplement if we ask you to.

Who can read you proposal?

Your proposal will be read by employees at Vinnova and those evaluator who participate in this the call for proposals. Everyone works under a duty of confidentiality.

The assessment and decision-making process

1. Call for proposals closes
2. Formalities review
3. Applications open for evaluator
4. Assessments submitted
5. Assessment meeting
6. Preparation and formalities review
7. Authority decision

Who participates in the process?

• Programme manager/programme manager responsible for the entire process
• Administrator at Vinnova
• Specially Appointed Independent evaluator
• Decision maker at Vinnova

Applications submitted to us become public documents. This means that we must disclose them if requested. However, we keep certain types of information confidential if disclosure could be expected to cause financial harm to the individual. This applies to information about business and operational conditions, inventions or research results.

General documents and confidentiality